American Colonial Women and Their Art

A Chronological Encyclopedia

Mary Ellen Snodgrass

Less celebrated than their male counterparts, women have been vital contributors to the arts. Works by women of the colonial era represent treasured accomplishments of American culture and still impress us today, centuries after their creation. The breadth of creative expression is as impressive as the women themselves.

In American Colonial Women and Their Art: A Chronological Encyclopedia, Mary Ellen Snodgrass follows the history of creative expression from the early 1600s to the late 1700s. Drawing upon primary sources—such as letters, diaries, travel notes, and journals—this timeline encompasses a wide variety of artistic accomplishment, such as:

Stitchery, quilting, and rug hooking
Painting, sculpture, and sketches
Essays, poems, and other writings
Dance, acting, and oratory
Musical composition and performance

Individual talents highlighted in this volume include miniature portraits by Mary Roberts, pastel likenesses by Henrietta Dering Johnston, stagecraft by Elizabeth Sampson Sullivan Ashbridge, basketry by Namumpum Weetamoo, dance by Mary Stagg, metalwork by blacksmith Elizabeth Hager Pratt, calligraphy by Anna “Anastasia” Thomas Wüster, city planning by Deborah Dunch Moody, poems and essays by Phillis Wheatley, and fabric design by Anne Pogue McGinty.

Featuring appendices that list individuals by skill and by state—as well as a glossary that clarifies the parameters of genres—this volume is essential to the study of Colonial women’s art. Resurrecting the efforts of women to record, adorn, and illustrate the spirit of their times, American Colonial Women and Their Art is a valuable resource that will be of interest to students and scholars of gender and women’s studies, art history, and American history.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 400 • Trim: 7¼ x 10¼

978-1-4422-7096-1 • Hardback • November 2017 • $145.00 • (£112.00)

978-1-4422-7097-8 • eBook • November 2017 • $137.50 • (£106.00)

Subjects: Art / American / General, History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775), Social Science / Gender Studies, Social Science / Women's Studies

American Colonial Women and Their Art

A Chronological Encyclopedia

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Less celebrated than their male counterparts, women have been vital contributors to the arts. Works by women of the colonial era represent treasured accomplishments of American culture and still impress us today, centuries after their creation. The breadth of creative expression is as impressive as the women themselves.

In American Colonial Women and Their Art: A Chronological Encyclopedia, Mary Ellen Snodgrass follows the history of creative expression from the early 1600s to the late 1700s. Drawing upon primary sources—such as letters, diaries, travel notes, and journals—this timeline encompasses a wide variety of artistic accomplishment, such as:
- Stitchery, quilting, and rug hooking
- Painting, sculpture, and sketches
- Essays, poems, and other writings
- Dance, acting, and oratory
- Musical composition and performance
Individual talents highlighted in this volume include miniature portraits by Mary Roberts, pastel likenesses by Henrietta Dering Johnston, stagecraft by Elizabeth Sampson Sullivan Ashbridge, basketry by Namumpum Weetamoo, dance by Mary Stagg, metalwork by blacksmith Elizabeth Hager Pratt, calligraphy by Anna “Anastasia” Thomas Wüster, city planning by Deborah Dunch Moody, poems and essays by Phillis Wheatley, and fabric design by Anne Pogue McGinty.

Featuring appendices that list individuals by skill and by state—as well as a glossary that clarifies the parameters of genres—this volume is essential to the study of Colonial women’s art. Resurrecting the efforts of women to record, adorn, and illustrate the spirit of their times, American Colonial Women and Their Art is a valuable resource that will be of interest to students and scholars of gender and women’s studies, art history, and American history.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 400 • Trim: 7¼ x 10¼

978-1-4422-7096-1 • Hardback • November 2017 • $145.00 • (£112.00)

978-1-4422-7097-8 • eBook • November 2017 • $137.50 • (£106.00)

Subjects: Art / American / General, History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775), Social Science / Gender Studies, Social Science / Women's Studies

Author

Mary Ellen Snodgrass taught high school and university English and Latin for 23 years and served as a state humanities lecturer and member of the NC Library Commission. She is the author of award-winning reference volumes including Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature (2006), Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature (1995), Encyclopedia of Fable (1998), Encyclopedia of the Underground Railroad (2007), and Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion (2013). Snodgrass is also the author The Encyclopedia of World Ballet (2015) and The Encyclopedia of World Folk Dance (2016) both published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Reviews

This volume examines the creative endeavors of women in the American colonies from 1607 to the inauguration of President George Washington in 1789. It is a year-by-year encyclopedia based on extensive research of archival and newspaper collections, illustrating the varied and dynamic lives, arts, and concerns of colonial women. For instance, some of the topics which the encyclopedia brings to the fore are: patriot vs. loyalist sentiments, diatribes against issues such as slavery and oppression, fears related to battles and conflicts, travelogues and protests, anecdotes and memoirs, and new forms of expression within social and economic situations, to name but a few. Some of the arts represented include painting, musical composition and performance, writing and storytelling, dancing and acting, and stitchery and quilting. Two appendixes, ‘Art Genres’ and ‘Artists by State’ are perhaps the most important part of the book because they allow the user to quickly find information related to particular interests and research. An extensive glossary and bibliography are also included. I highly recommend this volume given its unique focus along with its usability and attention to detail.
— American Reference Books Annual

[This book offers] an invaluable and accessible resource to the general and young adult audience.
— Early Modern Women

American Colonial Women and Their Art

A Chronological Encyclopedia

Mary Ellen Snodgrass

American Colonial Women and Their Art

A Chronological Encyclopedia

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